Needle-loom



(No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 1. HpSKINNER 8v F.. H. G1\T1\TO]' .1 .Yk NEEDLE LOM. No. 449,336 Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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NEEDLE LOOM.

Patenteqllar. 31.1891.

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NEEDLE LOM.

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NEEDLE LOOM.

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NTTED STATES PATENT Tricia,

HALCYON SKINNER AND FRANK H. CONNOLLY, OF YNKERS, NEV YORK.

NEEDLE-LOOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,336, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed .l'uly 29, 1890. Serial No. 360,307. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that we, HALCYON SKINNER and FRANK H. OONNOLLY, both of Yonkers, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in N cecile-Looms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of parts of a loom embodying our invention.

We will first describe in detail the example of our invention illustrated by these drawings, and afterward point out in claims the novelty of our invention.

All parts of the loom not necessary to illustrate our invention are omitted from the drawings.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken immediately in rear of the breast-beam of the loom and parallel therewith. Fig. l* represents another position of certain parts shown in Fig. l. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1 in the line a; a: of Figs. l and 2, the parts being viewed from the right of those gures. Fig. 3fL represents a front View of the operative end of the forked insertingneedle and a section of what is hereinafter described as the weft-finger. Fig. is a plan view corresponding with parts of Fig. 3. Fig. 4. is a plan view of aportion of one of the two needles employed to carry the weft through the warp, the shuttle which carries a selvagethread by which the weft is secured to the web, and parts of the mechanism for operating the said needle and shuttle, showing also a portion of the unwoven warp and woven web. Fig. 5 isa back View corresponding with Fig. 41.. Figs. 6 and 7 are side views corresponding with Figs. 4 and 5, showing some of the parts in section. Fig. 7* is aside view of one of the details shown in Figs. 4. and 5. Fig. 8 is a front view of the operative end of the other of the two needles. Fig. 8* vis an end Fig. 9 is a top View of the same. Fig. lO is a horizontal sectional view parallel with Fig. 9, showing also in dotted outline the end of the nist-mentioned needle.

Fig. 3a and Figs. 4 to l0, inclusive, are on a larger scale than Figs. l, 2, 3, and 3*.

.Similar letters and numbers of reference designate corresponding parts 1n all the Iigures.

\ produces, through the A designates the main framing of the loom; B, the breastbeam; B', the web supporting plate mounted on arms B* in rear of the breast-beam; S, the main shaft; S', the lay; a, the reed, and S4 a rod through which the lay may be operated by any suitable means.

P Q are two needles for carrying the weftthread through the warp, the said'needles being arranged to enter the shed from opposite sides of the warp. The needle P is of peculiar forked construction, as hereinafter described, for taking the weft-thread supplied, as is common in needle-looms, from a bobbin or spool (not shown) on one side of the loom and carrying it in the form of a loop a part of the way through the shed. The needle Q is hooked to take the looped weft-thread from the forked needle P and draw the said thread the remainder of the distance through the warp.

The butt of the forked needle P is firmly secured to a reciprocating carriage P", like that employed in many other needle-looms, running on a stationary horizontal slide P2, which is carried by a bracket P3, secured to the framing A on one side of the loom.

'The hooked needle Q, which will be seen in Figs. l and 2 to have the character of a lever, is fulcrumed by a pin q to a reciprocating carriage Q', which is fitted to a horizontal slide Q2, supported by a bracket Q3, which is bolted to the framing of the loom on the opposite side to that on which the slide P2 is arranged. The slides P2 and Qgare substantially in line with each other.

rlhe needles P Q are represented as each long enough to pass a little more than halfway through the warp from opposite sides thereof. The needle-carriages P' Q' are connected, respectively, by short rods p' and q with the long lever-arms Pit Q4 of twofulcrumshafts P5 Q5, which are supported in brackets P6 Q6 on opposite sides of the loom-framing. Shorter lever-arms P7 Q7 of these fulcrumshafts P5 Q5 are connected, respectively, by rods p2 q2 with the arms p3 g3 of a horizontalrock-shaft p, which is arranged parallel with the direction of the warp and supported in bearings in standards P3. The rocking motion of the rock-shaft p and its arms p3 qs rods p2 g2, the movement of the levers P4 P7 and Q4 Q7, thereby IOO running the needle-carriages P and Q along the slides P2 Q0. The rocking motion aforesaid is imparted to the said shaft p and arms p3 Q3 partly by a cam P10 on the main shaft S of the loom (see Fig. 3) and partly bya spiral spring P1. (See Fig. 1.) The said earn P acts upon a friction-bowl on a lever P0, one end of which works on a fixed fulcrum p5, supported in the loom-framing, and the 1o other end of which is connected by a chain Q4 zo of driving the needle and the weft-hook into the warp, and the cam P10 serves to turn. the said rock-shaft in the opposite directionnaniely,that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 for withdrawing the two needles.

The forked needle P is represented as of tubular construction throughout its whole length. This is desirable for the sake of lightness, and, though it might be solid for the greater portion of its length, it is necessary that the operative end should be hollow or of skeleton form, as shown in FigsfS, 9, and 10. The said end has in it a narrow longitudinal vertical slot 21, (see Figs. 9 and 10,) which is open on both sides for the passage of the thread 25 through it, the upper portion of said slot extending, as shown in Fig. 9, farther back than the corresponding' lower portion. (Shownin Fig. 10.) The portion of this end at the back of the vertical slot 2l is prolonged, as shown at 22, beyond the portion in front thereof, and the portion in front of the said slot is slotted longitudinally and horizontally, as shown at 23, the portion at the back of said slot 21 having no slot. Across the interior of the upper part of the first slot 21 there is secured in the needle a pin 24, forming a bridge opposite the back of the lower part of the said slot 21. The second slot 23 in the front part of the needley is wide enough for the entry of the hook 26 of the needle Q (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 10) to take the weft-thread 25. This thread, which, as hereinbefore mentioned, comes from a spool occupying a fixed position outside of the loom-framing, as is common in needle-looms, passes through the needle P, or the hollow point thereof, over the bridge 24, and during the inward movement of the needle down through the lower part of the slot 21, as shown in Fig. 8, the head of the loop, formed between the bridge 24 and the bottom of the slot 21, extending across the slot 23, as shown in Figs. 31 and 8, so that the hook of the needle Q, entering the latter slot, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 10, cannot fail to seize it.

The hooked needle Q has its hook 26 on its back, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This hook must be broad enoughthat is to say, thick enough in a vertical direction-to give considerable spread to the loop of the weftthread 25, as shown in Fig. 5; but beyond the hook the said needle has a thin point 27, as shown in Fig. 5. Besides the longitudinal movement hereinbefore described, by which the hook of the needle Q is caused to enter into the hollow point of the needle P to take the loop of the weft-thread from the latter and complete the carrying of the said weft-thread through the warp, the said needle Q is required to have a lateral oscillating or backward-andforward movement on the pivot Q for the purpose of delivering the said loop over the selvage-thread shuttle R, which will be presently described. Vhile the said needle Q is moving longitudinally into and out from the warp the said needle is held substantially in line with the needle P by means of a spring Q8 (see Fig. 2) against a stop Q0, secured upon the needle-carriage Q. )Vhen the needle Q has pulled the weft completely through the warp, its forward movement on the pivot Q, for the purpose of passing the loop of said thread over the shuttle and casting it olf, is produced by means of a cam Q8 on the main shaft S, acting through an elbow-lever Q0, which works on a ixed fulcruin 28, (see Fig. 3,) the said lever being connected by a rod 281'* with the lower arm 29 of an upright oscillating shaft 30, the upper arm 31 of which carries an upright pin 32, which moves forward against the needle Q. The said arm 31 is pulled backward again by means of a spring Q10, connecting the elbow-lever Q9 with a fixed point in the loom-framing.

The selvage-thread shuttle R is represented in Figs. 4, 6, and 7 as consisting simply of two cheek-plates united at one end to form the nose r and having pivoted within them the selvage-thread bobbin r. The said shuttle is placed in a shuttle-holder R R2, (see Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7,) which is situated on the same side of the loom as the needle lQ and near the line in which the selvage of the web travels. This lower part R of this holder, which is represented as secured to a projection r* on one of the brackets Bit, which supports the web-plate B', constitutes a stationary bed or support for the shuttle. The upper part R2 is simply a cover hinged to the front of R at r2 and having applied to it a spring r3, which presses it down with just force enough to hold the shuttle between the slightly-concave opposite faces of R R2 and prevent its lateral movement. The nose of the shuttle is presented in a. rearward direction, and the mouth of the shuttle-holder at which the nose r of the shuttle is presented has its lips r1 r5 flaring, as shown in Fig. 6, to facilitate the entry ot' the loops of the weft-thread between the shuttle-holder and shuttle.

In order to facilitate the passage of the loop of the weft between the shuttle and shuttleholder after their entry into the latter, and

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vthe weft-thread from the hook particularly to relieve the lower part ot the loop as much as possible of the weight ot the shuttle, which should be capable of containing the largest practicable quantity of thread, we employ in rear of the shuttle and shuttleholder a lifter R3, (see Figs. 4, 5, G, and 7,) which consists of an arm or lever pivoted at a suitable fixed point r", represented as on a bracket R4, secured to the fixed bot-tom R ot' the shuttle-holder. The head of this arm is made, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, with a cavity 33 to receive the nose fr of the shuttle. Above the said cavity 33 in the saidhead is a wedge-surface fr?, which acts, as shown in Fig. 7, on the lip rf of the shuttle-holder cover R2 to lift the said cover. rlhe lower entrance of the cavity 33 is also beveled, as shown at frs, to act with a wedge-like or cam-like action on the under part of the nose rof the shuttle to lift or tip the latter up from the shuttle support or bed R. This operation ol' the lifting-arm is produced by means of a spring r9, attached to the bracket R4 and pressing against the said arm. 'lhe throwing back of the said arm after the operation to the position shown in Fig. 6 is produced by an upright pin or projection 34 on the arm 3l of the rock-shaft 30, hereinbefore described, acting against a lateral projection 35 on the arm R3.

For the purpose of casting off the loop ot' 27 of the needle Q, after the latter by a movement from the position shown in bold outline in Fig. et to that shown in dotted outline in the same Vligure has carried the said loop over the shuttle, we provide what we term a cast-olf T, the construction of which is illustrated in Figs. Ll, 5, and 7*, and the stationary position of which in front of the said needle and outside oi' the shuttle-holders is shown in Fig. 2. This cast-off consists of a double fork, of which the prongs 3b' 36 farthest from the shuttle-holder are substantially parallel with the selvage-line, as shown in Fig. 4t, are also parallel with cach other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7*, and are wide enough apart through their whole length to permit the passage of the shaft or stem of the needle to Work between and be steadied by them; but the two prongs 37 37 nearest the shuttle-holder, which have their points inclined backward toward the shuttle and their rear edges oblique to the selvageline, as shown in Fig. 4, while wide enough apart throughout the greater portion of their length to allow the passage of the shaft or stem and the hook of the needle Q between them, have their points so contracted toward each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7*, as to leave only sulicient space between them for the passage of the thin point 27 of the needle, which projects beyond the said hook. The points of the prongs 37 37 being thus contracted and the point of the needle being thus reduced in thickness, when the needle moves forward from the position shown in bold outline to that shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4t there is plenty of space between the needle and the loop 25* (see Fig. 5) of the weft-thread for the loop to be carried by the hook over the said points, and thereby extended in width. The continued movement of the needle toward the dotted position draws the loop against the inclined outer edges of the prongs 37, `whereby the loop is detained while the completion of the said movement of the needle takes it completely out of the loop. 1lhe loop being then no longer held against the prongs 37, the said prongs, owing to their inclination, will no longer detain it, but leave it free to be drawn up tight in any way in which the loops of the weft are commonly drawn up to the selvage in needle-looms, as by the action of the inserting-needle P.

In order that when two needles P Q have been withdrawn from the shed, and the hooked needle has pulled the loop of the weftthread as far beyond the selvage as is necessary, the latter needle may have its return movement postponed long enough for its casting-off movement, just above described, to take place, and that the said postponement might be effected while the needle P continues its outward movement, by which the loop is drawn up to the selvage, the arms p3 g3 ot' the rock-shaft are so arranged that the connection between the said arm Q3 and :its rod q2 in completing the movement in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l, by which the outward movement of the needle Q is et'- fected, passes by a line drawn transversely and horizontally through the rock-shaft 19; but the arm p3 ot' the said rock-shaft is soarranged that it never passes such a line. This may be understood by reference to Figs. l and 1*, in the latter of which the said arms are shown in the position in which they have, by a movement in the direction of the arrow shown in that figure, brought both needlesA to IOO IIO

the end of their inward strokes, while in the y former figure the said arms are shown with the needles at the end ot their outward strokes. It will be obvious on comparing these figures, and particularly on reference to Fig. 1, that while the arm Q3 has been vcompleting its stroke in the direction ofthe arrow shown on it in the last-mentioned ligure there has been a scarcely perceptible movement ot the rod q2 and needle Q, while during the corresponding movement of the arm p3 there has been. a considerable movement of the rod jand needle P.

s, Figs. l, 2, 3, 3, and 3*, is what we term the weft-finger, arranged near the selvageline on the same side ot' the loom as the weftinserting needle P for the purpose `ot pressing the weft 25 forward in the shed on that side ot the loom after the withdrawal of the needle and preparatory to the weft being beaten up by the reed. It will be understood by reference to Fig. 3*, which includes a top View of the web-supporting plate B and part of the web and of the end of the needle, that after the withdrawal of the needle the weft runs from the needle to the fell o at the lopposite selvage in an oblique direction, and that at the selvage next the needle the weft is a good way forward of the fell. The weftfnger s, which consists of a thin fiat piece of metal, is pivoted at s', a little way in front of the needle, to a small fixed bracket s2, fastened to one of the brackets Bt, which carries the plate B. The operative movement of the said finger is downward and forward parallelwith the selvage, and is represented as produced through a lever U, (see Figs. l, 2, and Sii) working on a fixed fulcrumftt, one end of the said lever being connected by a pinvu and rod u2 with the weft-finger, and the other end being arranged to be acted upon every time the needle P is withdrawn from the warp by aprojection w3 (see Fig. l) on the needle-operating lever-arm P4. This weftfinger first depresses the weft-thread downward in the shed and then carries it forward close or near to the fell, so that all that the reed has to do is to beat up theweft after it has The said finger the needle and of leading the said thread 'into the lower fork or lower part of the slot 2l of the needle P. This last-mentioned action is illustrated in Fig. 3, where the said thread is shown in dotted outline in the nearly- `straight position it assumes when the needle is drawn out of the warp 38 and in full outline in the position to which it is depressed by the weft-finger, and thereby led into the said fork. The weft-linger s is shown in this figure in dotted outline in the position it occupies when not in operation and in bold outline as having depressed the weft-thread, as above mentioned, so that when the needle again moves forward the said thread will be looped across the slot or fork 23 of the needle, as shown in Fig. S. Although the thread is moved forward in the shed by the continued movement of the finger, and although the iin- 'ger is raised again before the needle is again inserted, the slack of the thread permits it to remain in position to be looped as the needle moves inward. The return movement of the weft-finger is produced by a spring et, which connects it with the needle-carriage slide P.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of ahooked needle for pulling the looped weft-thread through the warp, a carriage for said needle with which the latter is capable of moving lengthwise and to which it is pivoted to oscillate laterally, means for giving the said carriage and needle. a reciprocating motion to produce the lengthwise movement of the needle, means for producing the pivotal oscillating movement of the needle, and a selvage-thread shuttle over which the loops of the weft are caused to pass by the pivotal oscillation of the needle, all substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a needle for carrying a weft-thread, a selvage-thread shuttle, and a shuttle-holder consisting of a support and a cap or cover, of a lifter engaging with said cap or cover to remove its pressure from the shuttle during the passage of the loops of the weft-thread over the shuttle, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. The combination, with a needle for carry- `ing a weft-thread, a selvage-thread shuttle,

and a shuttle-holder consisting of a support and a cap or cover, of a lifter engaging separately with said shuttle and said cap or cover to remove the pressure of the latter from the shuttle and tip up or lift the shuttle from its support for t-he purpose of allowing the free passage of the loops of the weft-thread beltween the shuttle and the support and cover of the holder, substantially as herein set forth. 4'.- The combination, substantially as herein described, of a forked needle on one side of the loom and a reciprocating carriage for the same. for carrying a weft-thread, a hooked needle on the other side of the loom for taking the said thread from the forked needle, a

reciprocating carriage for said hooked needle to which the said needle is pivotally connected, a selvage-thread shuttle on the same side of the loom with the hooked needle, means, substantially as described, of giving the hooked needle an oscillating motion on its carriage to pass the loop of the weft-thread over the sh uttle, and means, substantially as described, of producing the reciprocating movements of the said needles, whereby the said movement of the hooked needle is nearly suspended during its oscillating movement.

5. The combination, with the selvage-carrying shuttle and the hooked needle having its point 27 projecting beyond and thinner than its hook 26, of the stationary cast-oif fork having its prongs 37 obliquely arranged relatively to the selvage line and having the space between said prongs wide enough throughout a part of their length for the passage of the hook, but having their ends constructed to leave a space between them only large enough for the point 27, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. A weft-inserting needle for a loom, having in its point or end a longitudinal slot 2l, which is open on both sides, having a prolonged point 22 on one side of said slot, having a second longitudinal slot 23 at right angles to the slot first mentioned, but open on one side only, and having a bridge 24 across the first-mentioned slot, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

7. The combination, with a forked weftinserting needle, of a weft-finger arranged on that side of the loom at which said needle enters the warp and capable of a movement in a plane parallel with the selvage for the purposes of taking up the slack of the weft IOO IZO

and beating the weft into the fork of said With said iinger, und the projection ug, pro- Io needle, and mechanism for producing the vided on said lever-arm P4 to operate upon movements of the said needle and weft-finger, said lever U and through it on the weftnger substantially as herein set forth. s, substantially as herein set forth.

5 8. The combination, Wit-h the needlePand HALCYON SKINNER.

its carriage and Jhe arm P4, which operates FRANK H. GONNOLLY. the said carriage, of the weft-linger s,pivoted Witnesses: at one side of theloorn, the lever U, having a THOMAS ELLIOT,

xed fuleruin u and connected at one end HERBERT G. UNDERWOOD. 

